This is edition 2025/103 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Wrong at the Right Time.
Chris Trotter
- 🏛️ Tyranny of the Majority vs. Minority: While not ideal, the tyranny of the majority is often preferable to being ruled by a minority, as history has shown.
- 🥋 Lessons from Strikes: Trade union wisdom: You need at least a two-thirds majority to justify actions like a strike. Narrow majorities can lead to defeat.
- ⚖️ Populist Leadership & Its Costs: The Springbok Rugby tour in 1981 highlighted the dangers of ignoring public opinion, where initial support shifted to strong opposition after real-world consequences.
- 📊 Majority & Minority Complexities: Majorities can be both right and wrong, but timing is crucial. It’s a “sin to be right at the wrong time,” as political veteran Mike Moore warned.
- 🏛️ Current Debate on Majority Power: The Privileges Committee’s narrow partisan majority led to harsh penalties for Te Pāti Māori MPs, raising questions about whether majority rule was applied justly.
- 👥 Public Opinion and Consequences: Early polling showed public support for the penalties, but global reaction to Māori MPs' haka may paint the situation in a different light, with international audiences potentially viewing the actions as a form of colonial injustice.
- 🌍 Global Perspective: The world’s view on New Zealand’s political actions may differ, as marginalized groups around the world could see echoes of colonial oppression in how Te Pāti Māori was treated.
- 🔮 Future Judgement: While the current government may feel validated by public opinion, history may eventually side with those who sought a more principled compromise, with future generations looking back with a different view.
